This invention relates generally to containment devices such as livestock and hay containment devices and, more particularly, to a portable loading and transporting apparatus configured for containing and transporting articles and livestock on the bed of a transport truck.
Livestock gates and pens are commonly used to corral animals on farms. Similarly, wire panels and gated frames are often mounted to the bed of a truck and are configured to transport animals to and from areas of food and shelter or even to a respective sale barn. Other structures are used to lift and transport articles like round bales of hay. Although these devices are presumably effective for their intended purposes, they do not provide a containment pen that may be loaded with livestock, hay, or other articles and then the entire containment pen loaded onto the bed of a truck, transported to another location, and then unloaded to the ground—all without the use of a tractor or other powered equipment separate from the truck.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a portable loading and transporting apparatus that is configured to contain livestock, food items, and other articles and to be loaded and unloaded from the bed of a truck having a hay bale loading assembly mounted thereto. Further, it would be desirable to have a portable loading and transporting apparatus having a containment pen that may be descended upon an animal and then the animal secured therein for loading and transport. In addition, it would be desirable to have a portable loading and transporting apparatus that is selectively adapted to transport and dump its contents in a controlled manner.